Brian Feener

Who’s testing your product?

Blackberry is sending out Bold’s to users.  Real users.  People who are trying to sync their phones to their Macs, their Windows XP machines, and maybe even an Ubuntu machine.  They’re using them in real world environments.

I’m sure if there’s a problem, someone at the home office is going to hear about it.

What happens when you’re not beta testing properly?  You get super-fans and power-users going on 2700 word diatribes about how awful your product is.  [For those not in the know, the author of this blog post is Just Blaze who's put in his work.  Warning: Video below is for super-nerds.]

How can you tell if you’re beta testing properly?

1) What controls are you using?  Are they the same controls you’re going to be using at launch?

2) What is the profile of your beta tester?  Is it exactly like the profile of your user?

3) What will you do if something big is found out to be wrong.  Like, not just big, but BIGG.  Two G’s.  Are you going to be able to fix it?  If not, you’re not beta testing.  You’re a little bit further into your release than you thought.  (Delta launch?)

4) If there aren’t any known bugs in your beta release, it’s not a beta release.

5) If you’re working with software, are the improvements to the full release going to be substantial enough that you can fight back (the right way) against piracy?

For the comments, what makes your beta releases worth the effort you put into them?  How do you get your feedback?

Speed metal, hip-hop, cool jazz, and salsa all employ different rhythms to sound the way they do.

The thing that they have in common is that each typically has a drummer to keep the beat.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKQgDY0pZ68]

The fascinating thing is that each has a different style of drumming, each has a different set up for the drums, each keeps different time, but they all work.

What if your rhythm is off?

What about your business? Can you survive a missed high-hat or a errant snare? Would it be worth changing the rhythm to make things sound different than the rest of the pack? How about if you put salsa rhythms in your hip hop song? Do you want every song to sound the same? Do you want every song to stand on its own?

Rhythms are predictable. That’s why you can clap along to them. Customers like to clap along.

Linux is slowly becoming ubiquitous.

By 2013, with the increasing sophistication of cell phones and the inevitable popularity* of mini-laptops like the Eee PC (Asus), Mini-Note (HP), and Cloudbook (Everex), Linux will become a real option for many consumers who will not make the switch from Windows after the purchase. According to ABI Reserach (via Matt Asey blog on CNET), 20% of the mobile market will be running on a Linux-based platform.

What once was considered an impossibility, Windows will eventually not be in every computer you turn on. Not only that, but there will be a fairly decent chance that the version that you are working on will be unfamiliar and there will be a varying learning curve.

What does that mean for non-software developers, or production-line-based business?

First, it shows that no matter how powerful a company may seem, there are always chinks in the armor that can be exploited. Microsoft Windows, for all its good features, is really expensive to produce. It does not make sense for Windows to be in every mobile phone as many of the American carriers have chosen to (practically) give away phones for free with a 2-year commitment. A Linux-based OS provides opportunity for those carriers to improve the quality of the experience on their phones without raising prices. Every company in the world has made choices about how to offer their product or service. The key for competitors is to exploit the differences.

Secondly, those who cannot accurately forecast up-and-coming developments in their field will be left behind. This reinforces the fact that you (yes, YOU, my dear reader) need to read the WSJ, need to read a trade publication, need to read about things that are happening outside of the industry, and need to continually improve yourself if you want to compete. There is no law that states that your company WILL make more money in the future. Calculated risk is acceptable and necessary in order to proceed. Understanding the existing and future market is critical in developing that calculation. This is important for companies AND individuals (that is, if you care at all about your career).

*Assuming that the market regulates itself and that there are some crazy government regulations that prevent people from taking advantage of awesomeness or the companies don’t start trying to trick their customers.

[image CC from John Vetterli]

Flossing is generally considered a good thing for everybody. It promotes good gum health and my dentist always tells me that I need to do it more.

So what is the business application of this idea? I think it may just be good customer service.

• It’s a hard habit to get into, an easy one to keep doing.
• Small actions go a long way.
• It should be daily. Not just when you want to.
• The short term effects aren’t always palpable.
• The long term effects are always palpable.
• Both are covered in wax. (Ok… so maybe all of these don’t work perfect.)

Add your thoughts and ideas in the comments. What is the flossing of business?

[image CC from pjmorse]

Customers don’t want all of the same thing.  In fact, the most successful companies have customers that are both extremely loyal to the product, customers that are basically loyal to the product but can be swayed, and those customers that don’t have any loyalty and will switch as soon as there is a difference in price or packaging.  (I’m thinking of Coca-Cola, Honda, Apple.)

One way to think of it is by thinking of the difference between pop music and classical music.  In pop music, there are easily digestible lyrics, chord progressions, metaphors, and hooks.  There’s always new pop music showing up in the marketplace, but it’s easily replacable.  (Example: Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown - “No Air.”)

[youtube=http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=DaRPJp_FoGU]

Is there anything WRONG with pop music?  Heck no!  It’s been proven that there’s a viable and important market for pop music - and that does not say anything to the effect that pop music has in uniting the culture and society.

But there’s a distinct difference between pop music and classical music which has a more intricate set of musical progressions.  Thousands of interpretations of Beetovan’s 9th Symphony have been recorded, played in concert, used for study, etc. But if you look at classical music, it’s hard to get into the canon.  I’d say it’s nearly impossible if you’re not involved in scoring movies.

Is there anything WRONG with classical music?  Heck no!  It’s been proven that there’s a viable and important market for classical music - and that does not say anything to the effect that classical music has in influencing pop culture.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIqRlubnkjA]

Can the same person appreciate classical music and pop songs?  Yes.  Absolutely.  Your market is probably doing that right now.  The important thing for you, Mr. Businessperson, is to understand that when a person wants classical music, don’t give them pop music.  And vice versa.

Having the right answer is great, but having the right question is better.

For the people in the back row….

Having the right answer is great, but having the right question is better.

If I have a e-newsletter, what am I trying to achieve with it?  Is that goal even worth achieving?

How many of my customers am I reaching with my television advertisement?

Is it worthwhile to take resources away from our core competency in order to do this side project?

Why am I bothering with a full page ad in this magazine?

What value does this extra feature ad?  What’s the point of adding an extra button if it takes away from the overall look of the machine?

What aspect of this product speaks to its success?

What questions do you ask of your projects/campaigns?  Do they help you get measurable answers?  (Don’t play if you can’t keep score.)

Paul Rosenberg and DJ Cipha Sounds did their hip-hop Juan Epstein podcast recently (explicit) and the conversation immediately went to how Cipha is constantly on his hustle. Here’s his grind and how you can apply it to your career.

1. MTV VJ on Sucker Free Sunday - The gig you do for basically free, but is helping you build your brand. If you’re an entertainer, you do YouTube videos. If you’re a salesman, write a book about sales. This is not the first thing you should attempt, but it will help you sell your other products later by giving you credibility. The best thing you can do is find a niche and be the authority on it.

2. Sirius Satellite Radio, Shade 45 - 8am - 12noon, everyday - Your paycheck job. You gotta pay your bills. It also helps to have regular employment on your resume, no matter what industry you’re in. If you’re consulting, then you better have some sort of income coming in.

3. Cipha Sounds and Rosenberg, 8am - 10am Sat. & Sunday - Hobbies are good, getting paid for your hobbies is better.
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